Tidying up my Vinyasa

Over the last ten days or so I've been working on tidying up my Primary as I'm planning on visiting a shala on Sunday. I've only ever been to a Shala twice before, and that was a year ago. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/09/second-mysore-class.html On that occasion I found out that I was completely ignorant of Chakrosana, had never done it, didn't even realise I was supposed to do it, Oops. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/search/label/chakrasana so wanted to make sure I was missing anything out this time.

I've been following along with Sharath's primary DVD and having a great time. Love how he keeps it simple, basically just the count. Really taken notice of his vinyasa and how......clean it is. Mine has always been too busy. I have all these little rituals where I prepare and build up to it, A little bum shuffle here, a leaning back and forwards there. I straighten the legs out in front of me before bringing them in and then up to my chest etc etc.... here's an example from last month of how I've been doing it up until now.

And below is how I'm currently approaching it.
I try to come out of the asana and straight into the vinyasa with as little fuss as I can. Where I'm in half lotus, I'm jumping back out of that and also trying to jump straight into the asana where possible. It's all beginning to feel much cleaner and neater. My whole argument for the importance of the Jump back and Jump through, has been that it creates such a nice flow from one asana to the next allowing you to lose yourself in the practice more. I'm starting to feel that more than ever now.

I'm even starting to think about dropping my fancy little half Kino Jump through for something closer to a Sharath hop, except that I think it's such a great prep for much that comes later, and I love the floaty, Calder mobile, feeling I get.

Somone emailed me recently and asked me for the breathing cycle/count for the jump back/Jump through. Here's how Sharath counts it on his DVD. I've included in brackets what he misses out, taken from Lino's book

Ardha baddha Padma Paschimattanasana
"Nava inhale, head up"
(exhale hands to floor)
"Dasa up" (inhale)
"Ekadasa Jumpback "(exhaling to chaturanga)
"Dvadasa inhale" (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
"Traydasa Exhale "(Ardho Mukha Svanasana)
"Caturdasa left side" (inhaling as you hop through,then head up)

Just looked again at my John Scott DVD he includes all the drishti.....Saved!